Harbor Freight $3 machete

Wow, thanks for the info! I've never been to Harbor Freight but it turns out there's one about 6 miles from me... Thanks!!
 
I bought one of those a few weeks ago when it was on sale. It's a decent size and the handle is nice. The blade is about .073" thick. The steel, however, is very soft. I was able to bend it and have it set at about a 20 degree angle, with my bare hands, very easily. In comparison, a Tramontina is much more springy and doesn't take a set, at least as far as I was able to bend it. It's mystery carbon steel. It might be an interesting experiment to find if it could be easily hardened, for the tinkerers out there.
 
You would be better off making your own out of bar stock with a grinder or spending the money on a decent bush knife. Those things are butter. I bought one from a hardware store for around $8.00. The first time I hit a sapling it bent almost double. I hung it on the wall of my shop as a reminder.
 
i got one and i THINK running boar has one too and the sheath sucks but it takes an ok edge with files and it will hold it decently long but i think it is too easy to bend side to side
 
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